


Bedtime for Baby

by MommyMaleficent



Series: a Dragon, a Queen, and their little Princess [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Bedtime, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Gen, Infantilism, Mommy Maleficent, Non-Sexual Age Play, Schedules, little Emma, mommy Regina
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-11 10:09:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15970166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MommyMaleficent/pseuds/MommyMaleficent
Summary: Baby Emma’s bedtime routine!





	1. Chapter 1

“Oh!” says Mama one night after dinner, “What’s that, Emma? What’s Mommy doing?”

“Kedule!” Emma answers, clapping her hands eagerly, “Emma ‘kedule!”

Depending on how little she was that day, Emma had certain routines she followed when in those younger headspaces. Little Emma had a bit more freedom to move around than Baby Emma, and of course, Big Emma could basically do whatever she wanted come bedtime (if she had one). Now that she also had a new mama, it was time for some new changes. And just like gaining a new mama, sometimes changes can be good. But only sometimes.

They watch Mommy put up Emma’s new baby bedtime routine right next to her little one in her room. Baby Emma claps her hands as she sits in her Mama’s lap on her little bed, and giggles when Mommy stands back to admire her handiwork.

“Yay, Mommy! Yay!”

Mommy smiles when she turns around to face them. “Well, aren’t _you_  being a big girl about this whole ordeal!”

Emma stops clapping and frowns. She crosses her arms in front of her chest. “No big, Mommy. Emma little. Me baby.”

This just makes Mommy laugh at her, which makes Emma pout. Mama laughs too.

“Mommy means you’re being a very good girl,” says Mama when they are done laughing. “And we’re very proud of you, little one.”

And she kisses Emma’s cheek, and Emma smiles again.

“Emma good girl!” she repeats.

Mommy comes over and bends down a little, her face very close to Emma’s face. So close, their noses touch. Her long nails tickles Emma’s chin when she holds it up to make sure Emma’s looking at her eyes.

“Does our good girl want to show her mommies how smart she is by reading her bedtime routine for us?”

Emma nods eagerly. “Emma smart. Me wead!” She turns her head to her Mama when Mommy pulls away, feebly kicking her legs. “Down p’ease, Mama.”

Mama kisses her again and lets Emma wiggle down from her lap. Then, when her feet are firmly planted on the ground, Emma takes both Mommy and Mama’s hand and leads them to where her schedules are taped up side by side. Her diaper crinkles as she waddles up to the wall.

One schedule is on blue paper and the other is on pink paper. One also has a few more words, and the other some more pictures. Emma points to the one on the left, the one Mommy just put up.

“Emma’s baby bedtime ‘tine!” she says, pointing to each word and saying them very clearly in her best baby voice. Mommy likes it when she speaks good. She looks to Mommy for approval, and smiles when Mommy nods.

“Good,” says Mommy. “Say ‘routine’, Emma.”

Emma frowns a little. Sometimes she doesn’t say words right, and she’s always scared Mommy might yell at her if she says it bad enough. She pulls at her bottom lip nervously.

“‘Ou-tine?” she repeats softly.

“Rou-tine.”

“Rooooooo-tine. Routine!”

Mommy nods again. “Good!” Emma smiles and turns back to the schedule. Taking her hand from her mouth, she points to the first line below the title. It has a clock face and the numbers that show the time. In this case, it says 6:30pm.

“Din-din! Yummy!”

Then she points to the next one. 7:00pm.

“Play! Toys! Funny! Yay!” Then she frowns when she sees what 7:30pm says. “No more TV. Hmph.”

Mama laughs. “No, but what’s there instead?” She points to the picture of books and crayons right next to it.

“Colorwing. An’—an’ weading? Pi’cher books?” Mama nods.

“Mmhm, 7:30 is when it’s time for our baby girl to wind down before... what, dear?”

She points to the next one, 8:00pm. Emma’s pout deepens and she sticks her tongue out.

“Baff.”

It’s not that Emma _hates_ baths. It’s just... well, she doesn’t really _like_ them either. In theory. She looks up at her Mommy. “Mommy, can I play bubbles in the baff? Pwetty-pwease?”

Mommy shares a look with Mama over Emma’s head. They smile. They’re always doing that when they don’t want Emma to know what they’re thinking. Sometimes she thinks it means they can read each other’s minds.

“If you’re a good little swan and listen to your Mommy and me,” Mama says first.

“And you promise not to splash us,” continues Mommy, “then you can have _extra_ bubbles in your bath.”

With a gasp of renewed excitement, Emma nods eagerly as she looks back and forth between her caregivers. “Pwomise! Pinky-pwomise!” And she holds up her pinky and they all swear. Yes!! Bubbles!

She goes onto the next one, pointing with her finger. 8:20pm. This one has very clear pictures.

“Diapy. Jammies. Bwushing teef. Storytime. Bed!!”

She points to the words at the very bottom of the page.

“Goodnigh’, Emma. Love, Mommy and Mama.”

And she smiles brightly when her mommies clap their hands at her, and she follows them and claps too, giggling as they giggle, kissing them back when they kiss her.

“Such a clever little baby we have, don’t we, Regina?” Mama asks, kissing Mommy on the cheek. Mommy nods, smiling.

“The best.” Then she stops. “Say, Emma, can you tell Mommy what part we’re supposed to do right now? Where can we start tonight?”

Emma frowns, looking up at her baby bedtime routine. She pinches her lower lip between her finger and thumb. Let’s see...

It’s not dinner. That happened a long time ago.

She already took a bath that afternoon after being a big girl and helping Mama in the garden and also playing.

She looked down at herself. All she has on is a t-shirt and a diaper. She might need a new one soon, and that means she’ll have to change into her jammies, and...

Wait—that’s it! She needs her jammies!

“Jammies, Mommy!” she cries, jumping up and down a little, “Diapy an’ jammies, and teef, and storytime!!” Maybe if she doesn’t mention bedtime she can stay up more.

“Excellent! Let’s get you changed, little one,” Mommy tucks some hair behind Emma’s ear. “And then you can pick out a story for us to read after Mama helps you brush your teeth, okay?”

“Yeah!!”

When it comes to her baby headspace, Mama Mally becomes Emma’s primary caregiver. Mama’s touch and voice gets super soft and gentle, and she always has something nice and comforting to say to her little baby. She smiles a lot, and makes sure Emma’s okay before she does things, like picking her up and carrying her like mommies carry their real babies around the house. Because she’s a strong and powerful dragon, so she can do that.

Mama gets Emma into a fresh diaper and her favorite footie jammies, tickling her tummy before picking her up. Emma eagerly wraps her arms around her Mama’s neck, and giggles into her shoulder when she feels herself being lifted up and settles on her Mama’s hip. Mama pats her bottom to let her know she’s safe and secure in her arms before she starts to move, and Emma rests easy in her grip.

She sits still on the lid of the potty while Mama brushes her teeth, only kicking her legs every now and again, and smiles big and wide to show off her pearly whites when both Mama and Mommy ask to see them.

Then her mommies settle into the bed, their beautiful little baby between them, and take turns reading lines from a story she’s picked out. When Emma falls asleep, they kiss her one last time. Then, carefully rising, they raise the safety rails on either side of the bed, dim the lights, and tiptoe out the room, leaving the door cracked.

“Do you think you’ll be ready for tomorrow?” Regina asks as they climb into their own bed beside one another, “Something tells me the novelty of her new schedule wore off as soon as she fell asleep.”

Maleficent chuckles. “We shall have to see, won’t we?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another late-night posting. Aaaaa
> 
> Enjoy!

Emma loves Sundays. She loves being in her makeshift crib and Mama waking her up. With one hand clutching her blankie and the other rubbing her eyes, she yawns her okay to let Mama pick her up and cuddle a little.

Mama hugs her tight, turning her body from side to side, kissing her cheek and saying, “Good morning, my baby,” in her sweet, gentle voice. Emma rests her cheek on Mama’s warm shoulder and sticks her thumb in her mouth.

“Let’s get you some breakfast,” Mama says when cuddling is over, “but first, let’s change our diaper, okay? Would you like that, little one?”

Emma nods. “Yes, Mama.”

So Mama changes Emma’s diaper to a fresh one, switching thumb for a pacifier as she does and cleaning Emma’s hand with a baby wipe. As she puts the supplies away, Emma plays quietly by herself, grabbing her feet into her hands and spreading her legs wide apart before bringing them back together again. Then, splaying her arms out to her sides, she pretends she’s pedaling a bicycle. Then, keeping her knees tucked in, baby kicks.

Mama smiles over her when she’s done putting things away, watching and waiting for Emma to notice her. When she does and stops kicking, Mama sits beside her and caresses her cheek.

“I love you, dear,” says Mama, “You are my sweet little darling, and I am very glad to have the opportunity to be your mama. Do you understand?”

Emma nods. She reaches for Mama’s cheek, to touch it to let her know the same, but she’s too far. She grasps for it, and whines a little, kicking her feet in frustration. Tears threaten to prick in her eyes, and Mama, seeing she was getting upset, leans over and touches her other cheek.

“Sshhh...” she shushes, “Hush, love, I’m here. No need to cry.”

She helps Emma sit up and eases her into her lap. Emma sets her blankie in her own, freeing her hands to close one fist around Mama’s long blonde hair, and the other around the fabric of her nightgown at the opposite shoulder.

Emma looks deep into Mama’s eyes, trying to say without words the exact same thing. She releases her hair and caresses Mama’s smooth, soft cheek before settling her head upon the crook of her neck. Mama rubs her back without a word, rocking her from side to side.

After a while, someone’s tummy growls, and Mama laughs. Securing Emma to her hip, and making sure she was, they head downstairs to start breakfast for themselves and Mommy. As they leave, Mama stops by the schedules taped to the wall and looks at them. Emma looks at them too, but doesn’t see anything different.

Mama sighs. Emma doesn’t know why.

* * *

Mama’s breakfasts are simple because she’s not as good a cook as Mommy yet. That’s because even though she’s lived in Storybrooke the exact same amount of time, she’s been trapped under the library as a big, scary fire-breathing dragon, and everyone knows dragons can’t cook human food.

Emma suckles her paci while she waits for Mama to heat up a bottle. She taps a light beat upon the tray of her high chair, leaning against her blankie draped behind her, her green eyes following Mama around the kitchen as she opened cupboards and stared at the pantry and scratched her head at all the boxes and cans of foods and ingredients.

It’s funny to see her Mama, who knows everything, know nothing.

Mama throws her hands up in the air as she closes the pantry door and looks at Emma.

“Well,” she says, “I’m at a loss. What do you think, Emma? Do you think Mommy would like cereal?”

Emma giggles, shaking her head. Mommy never eats cereal. Mama’s so silly! She kicks her feet, and takes her paci out of her mouth.

“Nooo!” she giggles again, “Mommy like eggs! Sunny eggs! An’ toast! An’ juice! Silly Mama!”

Mama always makes that for Mommy on weekends. Why should today be any different? Mama laughs.

“I’d venture you’re right. How smart of you to remember, little one.”

Emma smiles shyly.

She gets her bottle as Mama goes to work on Mommy’s meal. For the solid potion of her breakfast, she gets a few pieces of crustless, cut-up toast, half a banana which she shares with Mama, and a small bowl of cereal. Mama lets Emma feed her a bite of her cereal when she pretends to want some, and lets Emma wipe her mouth when they are both all done eating. Emma does her best.

Mama kisses her forehead as she stands up and removes the tray from in front of her.

“I think we’re going to have a good day today, don’t you?” Mama asks.

Emma nods. “Good day.”

And she nods two more times to make it more serious.

* * *

Afternoon comes and goes. Mommy and Mama go about their days as Emma goes about hers: she plays quietly under the table by herself when she’s all done with her lunch, crawls after Mommy when she forgets where she put her cellphone but didn’t want Mama to laugh at her and call her cute, and naps wherever she and her blankie feel comfy enough to sleep—under the kitchen table, at the bottom of the stairs, and, of course, gently swayed in Mama’s arms.

She wakes up in Mommy and Mama’s big, soft, comfy bed, and it’s so soft and comfy she rolls over to sleep some more. Too bad Mama has other plans.

“Wake up, little swan,” she says in her smooth, soft voice. She chuckles when Emma squeezes her eyes shut tighter and moans. “Come, dear, let’s open those beautiful eyes of yours.”

“Noooo...!” Emma whines, rolling over again. She doesn’t want to because she was plenty comfortable already, but Mama won’t leave her alone. “Sleep!”

“It’s very nearly evening, Emma. Come now—”

“MNNGHHNOOOOOO!!”

She can’t stop the cold tears that turn hot when they roll down the corners of her eyes when she opens them to fall upon her ears. Her eyes hurt. Mama’s blurry to her sleepy-weepy vision, and Emma quickly squeezes them shut right again.

“Go ‘waaaaaaay!”

She kicks Mama’s big soft blanket off of her, pushes Mama’s hands when they touch her, tries to roll over to her tummy and bury her face under the pillows, pounding them as she kicks her feet against Mama’s bed. It’s not fair! Why does she have to wake up when she’s all nice and comfy? It’s so warm, everything else is ice cold and ugly and gross and she hates it! Hates it so much!

When she gets tired of kicking and hitting, her hands and feet slow to a stop. Her face is hot and probably very red. And Mama isn’t saying anything. Is she even still in the room? Emma hopes so. Somehow, even though she knows it’s silly, the thought of being all alone scares her very much.

She lifts her head from under the pillows, opening her eyes slowly, and looks over her left shoulder...

Only to see Mama standing there, watching her, with her arms folded across her chest, looking very dis’ppointed.

Tears well up in her eyes again, and Emma whimpers at the fact that she made Mama upset with her. She almost wishes she’d just gone back to sleep instead like she wanted. She can’t stop her lower lip from jutting out and trembling hard.

“Mama...!” Emma sobs, her voice very high, her nose very stuffy, “‘m sorry, Mama...! Mama, ‘m sorry! Mama! Mama! ‘m sorry, Mama...!”

She reaches for her with a weak hand and another hearty sob, and through her noise she can hear Mama sigh. Then the bed sinks a little as Mama sits down, and Emma’s hand touches Mama’s knee as it falls. She dives for it, burying her face in Mama’s warm lap, crying in earnest.

Bad girl. Bad baby. Stupid, stupid!

Above her, Mama rubs her hair and her back. She doesn’t say anything still, just lets Emma cry. When she’s had enough, Emma rolls over again, looking up at her Mama. She clenches her fists to keep from crying again, but it’s really hard.

Mama’s dis’ppointed face looks down at her for a moment. Then, her face softens, and she smiles a little.

“Sweet Emma,” she says, rubbing one of Emma’s hot, sticky cheeks, “My tired little treasure...”

And she hugs her gently and rubs her back.

“We need to wake up now so we can get you to sleep on time tonight with your new schedule,” she explains softly as she rubs, “I know it feels like you didn’t get enough nap time and that frustrates you very much. I’m very sorry about that, but I promise Mommy and Mama didn’t wake you up to be mean. In order for tonight to be a good night, we need to make a few little tweaks to the day; do you understand, my love?”

“Y-yes, Mama...” Emma sniffles pitifully, pulling back from the hug even though she really doesn’t want to. She looks into her Mama’s pretty blue eyes. “You not m-mad, Mama?”

Mama chuckles, thumbing away a fresh hot tear. “Mama can handle a lot more than a post-nap cry. You’re completely fine, sweetheart.”

Emma gives her a watery smile. And then she holds on tight so Mama can take her to the bathroom to wash her face and clean her up. Mama gives her lots of kisses until she giggles, and when Mommy comes in, Mommy gives them both plenty of kisses of her own.

* * *

Dinner is yummy as always since Mommy’s up to cook. If Mama told Mommy about what happened at naptime, Mommy doesn’t say anything about it. She feeds Emma her foods and when Emma starts to get restless just sitting in her chair, she and Mama take her out to her playpen—where Emma can see them if she looks to the right, and watch a little TV and play with her toys before it was time for bed.

First, Emma plays with her blocks, stacking them one on top of the other. Then she helps Dora on TV go where she needs to go, and sings along to the all the songs. But when it’s time to find Blue’s clues with Steve, she sees Mommy reach for the remote to turn the TV off.

“No!” Emma cries as Mommy stops the tape and the TV screen goes blue. She stands up, clutching her blankie, her eyes fixed on her Mommy and the remote. “Five more minutes, please, Mommy? Pleeeeeeeaaseee?”

Mommy shakes her head gently. “Not tonight, I’m afraid. It’s time for you to calm down from all that excitement. Quiet time.”

“No!” Emma yells, stomping her foot. She puts on her best pout, folding her arms too, but still holding her blankie. “No quiet! Five more minutes!”

Mommy isn’t quick to upset tonight. “Emma, we all agreed that at 7:30, that means no more TV. Once we get settled into a proper routine, we can make some changes, but for tonight, can I count on you to at least try?”

Emma’s pout deepens. Glaring at Mommy, she stomps her foot again.

“Want. Blue’s. Clues,” she demands.

Mommy only sighs, and comes over and tries to cup Emma’s cheek in her warm, soft hand, but Emma quickly pulls back before she can. Mommy doesn’t let this stop her though, and she tries again.

Emma lets her touch this time, but she has to keep telling herself in her head not to smile or relax at Mommy’s touch because she’s still upset. Kinda.

“I know you can do this, Emma,” says Mommy quietly, “And we both know it won’t be just five more minutes.”

Emma rolls her eyes. For some reason, Mommy smiles.

“Should we color or look at picture books?”

“No!” comes the quick, indignant answer. Emma sticks her tongue out. “Stupid! Don’t want! No!”

Mommy sighs again and lets her hand fall from Emma’s cheek. She turns toward the kitchen. Emma looks too. They find Mama standing at the entrance.

“Always playing the villain, aren’t you, Regina?” Mama asks playfully as she leans against the entrance with her arms crossed at her chest.

They share a laugh at that.

“That’s my job, clearly,” says Mommy. “Now, come here. Come parent _your_ baby.”

Mama walks over to her, and gives Mommy a slow kiss on the mouth, one hand tilting Mommy’s chin up so she can kiss her. They smile, noses touching, foreheads touching. Then Mama looks over to where Emma’s standing, and gives Mommy one more kiss on the cheek before coming over to Emma.

Emma wraps her arms around Mama’s neck. “Blue’s Clues, Mama? Pwease?”

Mama kisses her cheek too.

“Sorry, dear. Not tonight.”

* * *

No extra bubbles in the bath tonight.

Mama dries Mommy off with her warm dragon powers. Emma smiles to herself when no one’s looking.

Take that.

* * *

Sitting in her rocking chair with Emma on her lap, Mama tells Emma a story about a little princess and her best friend that’s a dragon. It’s not a story from a book, but from her own mind.

“Is the dwagon you?” Emma asks.

Mama smiles sneakily. “Maybe. Or maybe not.”

The story goes that the dragon was best friends with a princess—Princess Emma of the Enchanted Forest—and as best friends, they did many things together. They played games, had picnics, shared many secrets, and sometimes, the dragon would let Princess Emma ride on her back!

“One day, an evil man came and took the princess away, and locked her up in a high tower where no one could reach her—not her mommy, her daddy, and most definitely not her dragon friend.”

Emma gasps. “Oh no...”

Mama goes on. “So the dragon had to come up with a plan. She had to be very, very clever. She disguised herself as an ordinary human girl, and ventured to find the tower where the princess was hiding. She searched for days, living as best as she could as a human, eating berries and nuts, catching fish and drinking water from the river.

“When she found the tower, she couldn’t climb up by herself, so she called for her wings and used them to fly up to the window where Princess Emma was sitting and waiting.

“The princess was afraid because she never saw a human girl with wings before. She didn’t know it was her dragon friend because she didn’t even think she could turn into a human.

“‘How do I know you’re my dragon?’ asked Princess Emma when the dragon-girl offered her hand to her, ‘How do I know you’re not an evil fairy come to take me away?’”

“How? How?!” Emma asks. This is exciting!

“What kind of story are you telling her, Maleficent?” Mommy asks. Now it’s her turn to lean against the door, wearing a towel on her head and a bathrobe. “Dare I ask what’s wrong with Goodnight Moon?”

Mama chuckles. She rocks Emma some more.

“The dragon knew how she could convince the princess it was her. She opened her mouth and spoke the princess’s language for the first time.

“‘We have shared many secrets as best friends,’ she said, ‘I will tell you one of yours, and if I get it right, then you will know it’s me. But if I get it wrong, then I will leave you be, and you will never see me again.’

“Princess Emma agreed. She waited for her supposed friend to speak again, thinking up all the secrets she told...”

Emma holds her breath.

“‘Even though you’re a princess,’ said the dragon-girl, ‘your true love for a time was another princess. But you had to hide it away because that’s how the world works. But you still like girls, so you say that the world works wrong.’

“The princess gasped. ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘that’s right! Oh, my dragon, it is you! You’ve come to save me, haven’t you?’

“The dragon-girl nodded. She changed back into her dragon form, and Princess Emma got on her back, and they flew away from the tower, back to the dragon’s cave, where she kept all her treasures, and where she hoped the princess would find to her liking. She turned back into a human girl and hugged her princess tight.

“‘I want you to stay with me,’ said the dragon-girl, ‘I keep all my treasure here, and your friendship is one of them. You are my most prized treasure; and I love you. And I think, if you agree to be here with me, I ought to tell you my real name.’”

Emma’s eyes grow wide. “What’s the dragon’s name, Mama? What is it?!”

Mama takes a deep breath. Her powerful blue eyes flicker to Mommy. She smiles to both of them.

“The dragon’s name is Lily.”

* * *

“I have to admit, I’m very impressed,” Regina says as she climbs into bed beside Maleficent. “No tears, no fighting to stay up, not a single request. She actually went to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. And after that _story_ of yours, _my goodness_. I thought she’d be up for hours.”

Maleficent rolls over to look at her, a tired but nonetheless proud grin on her face. “I do enjoy a good ramble now and again. Shall I say, a stream-of-consciousness one. It’s quite the freeing experience.”

“Hah, I bet it is.” She turns off the light.

“Would you count today a success? Despite a few bumps, we _did_ get her to sleep by 9 o’clock.”

To make sure, Regina looks at the clock. The big red numbers show 8:59... and then 9:00. She smiles.

“I would say so.”


End file.
